Homesteading Tips & Tricks – A Beginners Guide to Simple Homesteading Hacks

Homesteading Tips & Tricks  – A Beginner’s Guide to Simple Homesteading Hacks

Whether you have been homesteading for a while or you are just getting started, there is always so much more to learn. Homesteading tips and tricks can help you save time, energy, and money.

Use these tried and true homesteading hacks to get your homestead running efficiently in no time. 

Start Composting

Good soil is the backbone of any planting that you plan to do, so if you haven’t already, start a compost heap or a compost bin. Items that can go in your compost heap include food waste, coffee grounds, grass clippings, cardboard, leaves, and newspaper will all eventually become great fertilizer for your garden This is also a creative way to get rid of some of that extra garbage! 

Grow Vertically

Did you know that you can grow more of your own food in less space by planting your garden vertically? You can build simple frames or use PVC pipe cut horizontally with some holes added for drainage one on top of the other. 

In addition to being able to grow more food in a small space, you can also save time and money on watering. Put plants that need the most water on the top level and those that need less on the levels below it. The water will drip down and all of the plants will get as much, or as little as they need. 

A vertical garden can be done in a raised bed or straight from the ground so feel free to put your vertical garden wherever works best for you!

Use DIY Natural Cleaning Products – A Homesteading Hack

Cleaning products are full of chemicals, not very good for the environment, and they can be pretty expensive too. Chances are you already have all of the items you need to make natural cleaning products in your home, like baking soda, lemons, and vinegar. 

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and odor absorber that can be used as a cleaning spray in your home. If you don’t like the smell you can always add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. 

Baking soda is great for scrubbing countertops, sinks, and bathtubs because it is naturally abrasive. Need an extra boost of cleaning power? Make a paste with water or add a couple of drops of vinegar. 

Start an Indoor Herb Garden 

If you haven’t already, plant an indoor herb garden in your kitchen windowsill. You will have easy access to any of the fresh herbs you might want for cooking your own food. Having fresh herbs that you can use can save you money at the grocery store too if you don’t need to buy dried herbs. 

Reuse or Make Your Own Seed Trays – A Homesteading Trick

This is one of the most basic gardening tips. Whether you are growing fruit trees from seed or starting a vegetable or herb garden, reduce your waste by reusing or making your own seed trays. If you have trays from last year, reuse them Not only is this a creative way to recycle or repurpose, it’s also a frugal way to enjoy seed starting. 

You can also make your own seed trays by using a cardboard egg carton or a strawberry or blueberry container from the grocery store. If you use the egg carton once the seedlings are established you can separate the cups and plant the whole thing in the ground. 

Freeze your Eggs – A Homesteading Tip

If your chickens are laying abundantly, sell the eggs that your family doesn’t need to help generate an income for your homestead. If you still have eggs leftover, crack them individually into a greased muffin tin and freeze them. Once frozen, put them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe plastic container for later use. 

Simply pull out the number of eggs you need and allow to thaw. If your chickens don’t lay as well in the winter because of the colder temperatures you will know you still have plenty of eggs on hand to feed your family. 

Make Your Own Seed Tape

Seed tapes make planting the appropriate number of seeds the proper space apart from one another a breeze, but they can be quite expensive. You can solve this problem by making your own seed tape with toilet paper, seeds, and a mixture of one part water to three parts flour to make a paste. 

Roll out the proper length of toilet paper and put a dab of the paste where each seed should go. Put your seeds on top of the paste and allow them to dry. Now you are ready to plant your seed tape, or roll it up and store it in a zip-top bag for your spring planting. 

Learn How To Preserve Your Own Food

Your homestead garden and animals may provide more food than you can eat at once, so you will want to learn about different types of food preservation. You can dehydrate, freeze, pressure can, vacuum seal, or water bath can food that you and your family can enjoy months or even years down the road if you learn how to do it properly. 

Knowing that you have a variety of stored foods to feed your family can take some of the pressure off if times get lean financially, or if next year’s garden doesn’t perform as well as you would have liked. This will also take the extra stress off of having more green beans popping out of your garden soil than you know what to do with!

Estimate the Weight of a Pig Without a Scale

No need to drag your pig over to the scale to see how much it weighs. While your pig is distracted with food, measure it from the base of the tail to between its ears. Now you will need to measure the heart girth with a cloth measuring tape reading in inches. 

You will find the heart girth by wrapping the tape behind the front legs snuggly around the heart girth and reading directly behind the shoulder. Take the heart girth squared and multiply it by the length and then divide that by 400 for your pig’s approximate weight. 

Learn to Butcher Your Own Livestock

When you are living the homestead life, being able to butcher your own livestock can save you quite a bit of money once you have invested in the proper tools. Being able to butcher the animals yourself broadens your homesteading skill set and makes you even more self-sufficient. 

Doing the work yourself also puts you in charge of how the finished meat is cut and prepared, and you know exactly how the animal was cared for from start to finish. Additionally, butchering your own livestock will save you a lot of money! 

Homesteading is not easy, and it’s not for everyone, but it is extremely rewarding. These simple homesteading tips and tricks can help to make some of your tasks just a little bit easier, whether you are a new homesteader or s seasoned pro. 

Do you have any other homesteading tips and tricks to share?